Some of the top games you can engage in to improve your memory are:
1) Chess
Chess is a fascinating game that you can play with family, friends, or other virtual competitors. You don’t require an actual board, as you can use your tablet, computer, or phone. The chess game is mentally challenging, as its design is mentally intensive. You need to come up with a strategy for every move by analyzing the board in a short time. You must also anticipate all your opponent’s moves and ensure that your strategy helps you win.
As you play chess, you rely on your short-term memory and also trigger your long-term memory. The action, therefore, exercises both parts of the brain in shifts. Beyond the thrill of the game, competitive chess hones your strategic thinking to razor-sharp precision. It’s a mental arena where you’ll learn to analyse complex situations, anticipate opponents’ moves, and make split-second decisions. The intense competition pushes you to your limits, fostering resilience and nurturing your ability to handle pressure. Each match becomes a platform of growth, revealing your strengths and weaknesses while igniting a desire for continuous improvement. Plus, the camaraderie within the chess community creates connections with like-minded individuals like Mikhail Solodovnikov, forming bonds beyond the board.
2) Sudoku
Sudoku helps in stimulating your brain and improves memory retrieval. You can find this game online or in many newspapers. To complete the game, you must store many numbers in your brain and mentally place them in one out of the nine spaces on the lattice. With this game, you challenge your brain to memorize many numbers and use logical thinking to fill all the other blanks.
Playing Sudoku requires you to use strategy and creative thinking to successfully solve the problem. This way, you can increase concentration, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
3) Crossword puzzles
These are some of the classic games in brain training to improve memory. They test your knowledge of popular culture, science, history, and vocabulary skills. Traditional methods of playing the game use newspapers or hardcopy books. Also, you can solve crosswords using gaming apps or on the internet. If you play them regularly, they act as a cognitive exercise that engages your brain, hence delaying dementia.
4) Video games
Many video games are more popular with the younger generation. Although they are seen as a distraction, they greatly improve memory. Preliminary research shows that in adults, video games that focus on skillful thinking and planning help in boosting their memory. For children with learning disorders, video games are a fun way to improve their cognitive function, especially when they involve learning questions.
5) Concentration
It is popular among children and helps in memory development and retention abilities. The game requires you to lay cards facing down, then flip two of them at a time while trying to match the sets. Also, you can play a more challenging version, the "spaghetti" variation, where you arrange cards messily. A less systematic layout increases brain difficulty and makes it harder to remember where the cards are.
Bottom line
Games are an ideal way to engage in some fun activities when bored. They also challenge your brain and help to boost your memory. Some of the games that expand your gray matter include chess, Sudoku, crossword puzzles, concentration, and video games. Most of these games allow you to play them either traditionally, online, or through gaming applications. Playing games, other than improving your memory, will also help you bond with family and friends.